Electrically-operated vehicle-brake.



C. ADLER, JR. ELECTRICALLY OPERATED VEHICLE BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I6. I9l7.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET gimucnfoz c. ADLER, JR.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED VEHICLE BRAKE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 1917.

' 1,300,094. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

CHARLES ADLEB, JR, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED VEHICLE-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 16, 1917. Serial No. 175,186.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ADLER, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Electrically Operated Vehicle- Brakes, of which the following is a specification. p

This invention relates to improvements in electrically-actuated brakes for vehicles, and is especially designed for use on motor-W hicles so that the application and release of the brakesmay be readily efiected bythe operation of an electric switch.

One object of the invention is to provlde an improved motor-driven mechanism for effecting an operation of the brake devices and to provide an improved means for automatically controlling the motor whereby to stop the same when the mechanism has been moved to an extreme application positlon or to a full release position.

The invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein,-

Figure 1, shows the improved dI'lVlIlg mechanism in top plan.

Fig. 2, illustrates the same in side elevation.

Fig. 3, diagrammatically illustrates the device and its application to a car, and

Fig. 4, illustrates a wiring diagram showing the connections between the current supply, motor, switch and automatic cut-out device.

Referring to the drawing by numerals which designate the various parts; 5, indlcates a support or base on which the driv ing mechanism is mounted and from which a bracket 6, extends vertically and sustains.

a motor 7. The motor has a shaft 8, with an enlarged body 9, at the outer end thereof and a worm screw 10, is formed'on said body. d

To one side of the motor the base carries two bearing brackets 11, and 12, respectively which sustain horizontal shafts 13 and 14, and shaft 13, carries a gear 15, which has position directly under and meshes with the worm screw 10, so as to be driven by the latter. A pinion 16, is also carried on the shaft 13, and meshes with and drives a large gear 17, on the shaft 14.

Shaft 14, is provided at one end with a crank arm 18, and also carries a circular head 19, of some material that is a nonconductor of electricity. The worm drive and the arrangement of gearing is such that shaft 14, will be driven at a comparatively each other. The plate 27, is provided witha binding post 29, while plate 28, has a binding post 30. These curved contact plates 27, and 28, extend in a direction that is concentric with the head 19, so that as the contacts or brushes 22 and 23, swing, when the head is rotated, they will rub over said curved plates and maintain contact therewith until the end of the plate is reached, whereupon the contact will be broken, as will presently be explained.

' In practice the base 5, on which the abovedescribed mechanism is mounted, is hung from the frame 31, by brackets 32, or otherwise, and the arm or lever 18, on the end of shaft14, is connected to an arm 33, of a bell-crank lever by means of a connecting device 34, preferably of a flexible character,

' such as a wire, chain or rope. Anotherflexible connection 35, extends between the other arm 36, of the bell-crank lever and the brake band actuating lever 37,-the band 38, extending around a drum 39, in the usual or any preferred manner, all as illustrated in Fig. 3, of ,the drawing.

In carrying out the invention I utilize an electric switch device which may be placed anywhere within reach of the-driver,the location however depending upon the kind of vehicle on which the. apparatus is put.

In the present illustration this switch has a set of contact points 41, and 42, another set of contact points, 43 and 44, and a third set of contact points 45 and 46, together with a knife-blade switch with blades 47 and 48, that are pivoted to the contacts 41 and 43, and may be swung into engagement with the contacts 42 and 44, or the contacts 45 and 46, according to the direction it is desired the motor shall revolve. The motor is designed to be operated in either direction so as to Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

revolve the train of gears in one direction to apply the brakes, and 1n a reverse direction to release the brakes.

The motor is provided with four binding posts which are designated 49, 50, 51 and 52, respectively. The post 49, has a wire connection 53, that leads to and connects with contact 41, on the switch while post 50, is

a wire 54, with the contact 43,

60, connects switch contacts 45 and 44.

A wire.61, connects switch contact 46, with the movable brush 23,and a wire 62,connects theswitch contact 42, with the binding post 29, of the curved contact plate 27.

The ,position of the arts in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, are as when the bra (e is applied, while in Fig. 3, the'parts have the position they assume when the brake is released.

The position. of the switch and contact brushes in the diagrammatic view of Fig. 4, is therefore such as is assumed when the brake is applied, but as will be pointed out,

the parts in said Fig. 4, are so located that the motor hasdone its work and is idle with the brake applied.

By referrmg to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the contact brush 22, has moved beyond and out of contact with the curved plate 27. This condition effects an interruption in the circuit that drives the motor in a direction to apply the brake and this interruption or break in the circuit takes place automatically by the rotation of shaft 14, and head 19, and entirely independent of any operation of the hand switch by the operator or driver.

It will therefore be understood that the movable brush 22, acts as an automatic cutout to stop the motor traveling in one direction, and that the movable brush 23, performs a similar operation to stop the motor during its travel in a reverse direction. The

directlon of travel however is not determined alone by either brush 22 or 23, but with one or the other of those brushes together with the hand switch device and the contacts of the latter.

For example before the knife switch is turned to close connections between cont-acts 41 and 42 and between contacts 43 and 44, the brush22, will be near the lower end of contact plate 27, and the brush 23, will, at that time, be located above the upper end of the contact plate 28, as illustrated in Fig. 3, of the drawmg. When in this position, and

it is desired to apply the brake the hand switch will, as before stated, be turned to close the contacts 41, 42 and 43, 44, whereupon the circuit would be as follows: from battery 58, by wire 59, to contact 45; across bridge-wire 60, to contact 44; then through blade 48, to contact 43; then by wire 54, to post 50, to drive motor 7; then by post 49, and wire 53, to and through contact 41, blade 47, to contact 42; then by wire 62, to post 29, and contact plate 27; then from plate 27 through brush 22, (which at the time will be at lower end of plate 27) then by wires 56, 55 to post 51, through field of motor to post 52, and finally by wire 57, back to current supply or battery, and by thus completing the circuit, drive the motor until the circuit is broken. This break automatically takes place when the brush 22, leaves the curved plate 27, and the motor will stop, holding the brake applied.

To reverse the motor and release the brake the switch will be swung over so as to close connections between contacts 41, 45, and 43, 46 whereupon, the reverse. circuit will be completed and the motor operated to release the brake. This movement will then continue until brush 23, leaves contact plate 28.

It will thus be seen that the motor will be started by the operation of the hand switch but will be automatically out out by a break in the circuit, effected by either the brush 22 or the brush 23, so that if the brake is to be fully applied or fully released the operator need do nothing other than start the motor.

When it is desired to simply check the speed by a series of application and release operations, this can be readily effected by the operator simply swinging the switch blades from one side to another and making brief contacts with the contacts 45, 46 on one side and then with the contacts 42, 44 on the other side.

I prefer to maintain the foot brake mechanism so the brake can be operated by foot power, in which instance the brake lever 63, has a connection 64, with a swinging lever 65, and a flexible connection 66, is provided between the lever 65, and the arm 33, of the bell-crank lever.

Having described my invention what I claim is,

1. In an electric brake device for vehicles.

the combination with brake-lever devices, of

a reversible electric motor; connections be.- tween the motor and brakeivers; a switch having two sets of contacts; a circuitbreaker having two circuit-breaking devices-one for establishing a circuit to drive the motor in one direction and the'other for establishing a circuit to drive the motor in a reverse direction and both circuitbreaking devices being independent of the switch; a circuit including the motor, the switch and one circuit-breaking device at a time and rotating means carrying the circuit-breaking devices.

2. In an electric brake device for vehicles, the combination with brake-lever devices, of a reversible motor; connections between the motor and brake-lever devices; a manually operated switch having contacts to effect an operation of the motor in one direction and other contacts to cause an operation of the motor in a. reverse direction; a circuitbreaker comprising two electrically-separated curved contact plates and two electrically separated contact devices; means for imparting movement to the two contact devices of the circuit breaker while the motor is operating, and a circuit including the motor one set of switch contacts .at a time and the said circuit breaker.

3. In an electric brake device for vehicles, the combination with brake-lever devices, of a reversible electric motor; means operated by the motor for acutating thebrake-lever devices; a manually-operated swit h; two electrically separated curved contact plates; two electrically separated contact devices each having movable contact with a curved contact plate and one for completing a circuit .to drive the motor in one direction while the other completes a circuit for driving the motor in a reverse direction; means for moving both contact devices as the motor operates, and a circuit including the motor, the switch and one of said contact and curved plates at a time.

4. In an electric brake device for vehicles, the combination with brake-lever devices, of an electric motor; a train of gears operated by said motor; means between the gears and brake-levers for actuating the latter; a circuit-breaker having two movable contacts and two stationary contacts; means for moving the movable contacts of the circuitbreaker as the motor revolves; a manuallyoperated switch, and a circuit including the motor, the manuall operated switch, one movable contact an one stationary contact of the circuit-breaker at a time, said movable contact of the circuit-breaker breaking the circuit upon passing from the stationary contact.

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES ADLER, J a. Witnesses:

MALcoLM W. LOWENBTEIN, CHAs. B. MANN. 

